


Blessed Are They

by orphan_account



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-21
Updated: 2014-08-21
Packaged: 2018-02-14 03:22:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2176173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jo Jo has a run-in with a preacher in the square</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blessed Are They

The preacher’s back.

Jo Jo’s used to him by now, on account of it’s the same guy every time. He always seems to come around just when things couldn’t get any worse, coming to preach the Good News like it’ll actually make a goddamn difference. Judging from his balding gray hair and screechy voice, it hasn’t done too much for him.

He always holds up a Bible like he’s gonna bludgeon someone with it, like it’s a weapon or somethin’ and not a real “sacred text” like he says it is. Jo Jo never really counted himself among the religious, but it bugs him just a little. Sister Margareta always used to carry her Bible close to her chest, like holding a baby. But hers was more falling-apart than this preacher man’s. She liked to write in hers.

Sister Margareta never made him feel funny about religion, not the way this preacher man does or even how Sister Bernadette sometimes would, back when he lived in the cathedral and she’d catch him pulling pranks on the other children. But Sister Margareta always laughed and told him stories about Jacob the trickster, who had a son named Joseph which was close enough to Josephino to make him feel special for just a moment.

Jo Jo isn’t sure how most of the other boys feel about God and church and religion and all, but he knows for certain that they all hate the preacher. Especially Race. Race is a different kind of religious than the sisters at the cathedral. He curses, gambles, loses his temper, drinks, lies, and cheats at cards, but he still says his prayers every morning and night like clockwork. Jack teases sometimes that he’s not a good person, but he’s always laughing when he does it and Race doesn’t seem to take it to heart. The preacher, though, is a different matter altogether. Race gets upset when he shows up.

He acts like he doesn’t, but he does. The minute they hear the preacher’s voice from the square, Race’s shoulders get all tense and his face goes white. He swears less on those days, but he smokes more. He turns down offers to play cards in the evening, and clutches at the crucifix and string of beads his mama gave him before she died. Jo Jo doesn’t know much about Race’s mama, but he heard that she was strict.

It’s no different this time – Jo Jo spares a glance towards Race and can see that he’s already turning pale. Jack calls it ‘catholic guilt,’ or at least, that’s what he said to Crutchie once while Jo Jo pretended not to be listening. Said it was best just to leave him be, because he always pulled out of it in a couple days. Jo Jo isn’t quite sure what it is Race has to be guilty over; they each have to do what they can to get by. He’s got a bit of a temper, sure, but it’s not so bad as Henry’s. He cheats at cards sometimes, but he always knows just when to lay off so that he doesn’t clear anyone out. Race was the one who took a broken nose after Romeo made a pass at the wrong man’s girl, and when Specs spent a whole night throwing up after trying to get drunk off cheap beer, it was Race who stayed up to look after him.

The preacher’s going on about orphans and runaways, which is hardly surprising. People like to blame them for their own situation instead of taking a moment to sympathize. What is surprising is the fact that Jo Jo knows exactly what verses he’s using to condemn them, and that’s what prompts him to step forward.

“Can you read the next one?” he yells out, interrupting the preacher mid-sentence.

The old man stares.

“Ephesians six, right?” Jo Jo continues. “You been goin’ on about 1-3 for a while now, I wanna hear four.”

The preacher, Jo Jo reasons, must not be used to people listening and asking questions when he talks, because he just keeps on standing there looking disgusted. But the other newsies are gathered round like an audience, like they do when the Delancey brothers try to gang up on Jack some mornings, so it’s for their sake that Jo Jo keeps pressing on.

“Ephesians 6: 1-3 says we gotta obey our parents if we wanna live long and be well,” he says, voice clear like he’s explaining a headline, “And yeah, we all heard you the first eight times you said it, but you’re leavin’ out the part where it says our parents gotta take care of us too. You’re actin’ like we done something wrong, not stayin’ with our parents, but for most of us we ain’t got a choice.”

He glances back at Race, and can see that he’s looking considerably less pale than he did a moment ago.

“And it’s alright, you know?” Jo Jo continues. “Remember Jacob? He didn’t just run away from home, he lied to his pop and tricked him first. But then he lived a real long time, and had twelve sons even!”

The preacher’s face has gone comically red, and he jabs his finger in Jo Jo’s direction.

“Boy,” he yells in his hoarse, screechy voice, “if you think you can argue against the Word of God – ”

“MORNING BELL!” Jack shouts, and grabs Jo Jo by the arm to yank him toward the gate, which, sure enough, has just opened.

They’re both laughing when they reach the distribution center.

“Didn’t think I could hold my own against the old man?” Jo Jo challenges, and Jack gives him a hearty clap on the back.

“Nah, you were doin’ just fine. It was him I was worried about. Thought he’d get all worked up and have a heart attack.”

They pay for their papes and move to head out, when Jo Jo spots Race near the back of the line.

“Hey, Race!” He calls, “Fancy a game of cards tonight?”

The other boy grins, and something inside of Jo Jo seems to unclench.

“Depends,” Race replies, smug. “You prepared to part with every cent you earn today?”

Jo Jo laughs, and turns to leave.

The preacher man can think what he wants, but Jo Jo knows in his heart that back there in the square he did something good.


End file.
